System and method for providing calling feature icons in a user interface that facilitates user selection of a communication line for an outgoing call on a mobile device

ABSTRACT

A system and method for providing calling feature icons in a user interface that allow users to determine with ease the status of different calling features, and in respect of at least one embodiment, to identify with ease the communication lines associated with calling features that have been enabled (and/or disabled) on the mobile device. In example embodiments, for each calling feature, at most one general calling feature icon associated with the respective calling feature is displayed in a general calling feature icon display field of a call screen if the respective calling feature applies to at least one of a plurality of communication lines accessible at the mobile device. In some embodiments, line-specific calling feature icons may also be displayed in an active line data display field and/or a line selection menu.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of prior U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/691,187, filed on Mar. 26, 2007 and issued to patent as U.S. Pat.No. 8,463,325. The entire contents of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/691,187 are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to user interfacesprovided by mobile device applications, and more specifically to mobiledevices that allow outgoing calls to be made by a user on acommunication line selected from a plurality of communication lines.

BACKGROUND

Many modern mobile devices are multi-functional. They may be configuredto allow users to engage in both electronic mail (“e-mail”)communications and telephone communications, for example. Additionally,it is common for a user to utilize the mobile device for differentpurposes. For example, a user may operate a single mobile device toengage in communications relating to both business and personal uses.

Phone-equipped mobile devices may be adapted to accommodate an AlternateLine Service (ALS) or similar service. With respect to these mobiledevices, two (or more) phone numbers may be associated with a mobiledevice, with each phone number being associated with a differentcommunication line. A user may wish to place an outgoing call on aspecific communication line so that when the call is received by areceiving party, the phone number associated with that communicationline will be identified on the receiving party's phone where “calldisplay” functionality has been enabled on that phone. Use of multiplecommunication lines may also be useful for line-specific trackingpurposes (e.g. to facilitate separate billing for long distance callsrelating to business and personal uses).

Outgoing calls are generally initiated by a user from a call screenprovided by an application (e.g. a phone application) residing andexecuting on the mobile device. Detailed calling feature information formultiple communication lines may be provided within a single displayfield on the call screen. For example, a voicemail icon marked with aline number may be displayed in the display field, to indicate that avoicemail on the communication line identified by that line numberawaits consideration by the user. Similarly, a call forwarding iconmarked with a line number may also be displayed in the same displayfield, to indicate that a “call forwarding” feature has been enabled forthe communication line identified by that line number. If a particularcalling feature has been enabled for multiple communication lines,multiple instances of the same icon can be displayed together in thedisplay field, each marked with a different line number. The user isable to identify, from the collection of icons displayed in theabove-mentioned display field, what calling features have been enabledand the communication lines for which they are enabled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of embodiments described herein, and to showmore clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now bemade, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile device in one exampleimplementation;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication subsystem component of themobile device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a node of a wireless network;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating further aspects of the mobiledevice of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of providingcalling feature icons in a user interface that facilitates userselection of a communication line for an outgoing call on a mobiledevice in accordance with at least one embodiment;

FIGS. 6A to 6D are examples of screenshots of a user interface providedto a user in accordance with an example implementation of oneembodiment; and

FIGS. 7A to 7E are examples of screenshots of a user interface providedto a user in accordance with an example implementation of anotherembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In known systems providing a user interface of the type described above,where calling feature information for multiple communication lines isprovided within a single display field on the call screen, the ease withwhich a user would be able to quickly determine what calling featureshave been enabled on the mobile phone and the communication line forwhich those calling features are enabled generally diminishes, as thenumber of available calling features and/or the number of communicationlines provided on the mobile device increases. Clearly showing the statefor each calling feature icon and for each one of a plurality ofcommunication lines may be difficult. This can overwhelm or confuse theuser particularly when the user is confronted with a large collection oficons.

Typically, in mobile device applications, only one communication line isdeemed to be “active” at any given time. Outgoing calls are placed onthe active line until an alternate communication line is selected. Onepossible solution that may be employed to address some of the aboveproblems is to only display calling feature information for the activeline in the display field in which calling feature icons are displayed.In this manner, it would not be necessary to annotate icons with linenumbers or other line identifiers, since the user would know that theicons identify the status of calling features that have been enabled (ordisabled) in respect of the active line only. However, a user wouldremain unaware of the status of a calling feature enabled on a differentcommunication line (e.g. when a voicemail has been received inassociation with a communication line that is not the active line) untilthat communication line is selected as the active line, which may beundesirable.

Embodiments described herein are generally directed to a system andmethod for providing calling feature icons in a user interface thatallows mobile device users to determine with ease the status ofdifferent calling features. For example, in respect of at least oneembodiment, easier identification of the communication lines associatedwith calling features that have been enabled (and/or disabled) on themobile device while conserving screen space is facilitated.

In a broad aspect, there is provided a method of providing callingfeature icons in a user interface that facilitates user selection of acommunication line for an outgoing call on a mobile device, the mobiledevice providing access to a plurality of communication lines on whichoutgoing calls may be made by a user, the method comprising the stepsof: providing a call screen on a display of the mobile device;determining a status of each of at least one calling feature for each ofthe plurality of communication lines; and displaying, for each of the atleast one calling feature, at most one general calling feature iconassociated therewith in a general calling feature icon display field ofthe call screen if the respective calling feature applies to at leastone of the plurality of communication lines.

In yet another broad aspect, the method of providing calling featureicons in a user interface further comprises the steps of: displayingdata identifying a first of the plurality of communication lines in anactive line data display field of the call screen; and displaying, foreach of the at least one calling feature, a line-specific callingfeature icon in the active line data display field if the respectivecalling feature applies to the first communication line.

In another broad aspect, the method of providing calling feature iconsin a user interface further comprises the steps of: receiving a firstinput from the user, the first input comprising a direction to displayon the call screen a line selection menu, wherein the line selectionmenu comprises data identifying at least a subset of the plurality ofcommunication lines; displaying the line selection menu on the callscreen after receiving the first input; and displaying, for each of theat least one calling feature and for each communication line of thesubset, a line-specific calling feature icon in the line selection menuif the respective calling feature applies to the respectivecommunication line.

In another broad aspect, the method of providing calling feature iconsin a user interface further comprises the steps of: receiving a secondinput from the user, the second input identifying a user-selected secondcommunication line of the subset; updating an active line data displayfield of the call screen by displaying data identifying the secondcommunication line in the active line data display field; wherein theupdating step further comprises displaying, for each of the at least onecalling feature, a line-specific calling feature icon in the active linedata display field if the respective calling feature applies to thesecond communication line.

These and other aspects and features of various embodiments will bedescribed in greater detail below.

Some embodiments described herein make use of a mobile station. A mobilestation is a two-way communication device with advanced datacommunication capabilities having the capability to communicate withother computer systems, and is also referred to herein generally as amobile device. A mobile device may also include the capability for voicecommunications. Depending on the functionality provided by a mobiledevice, it may be referred to as a data messaging device, a two-waypager, a cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, a wirelessInternet appliance, or a data communication device (with or withouttelephony capabilities). A mobile device communicates with other devicesthrough a network of transceiver stations.

To aid the reader in understanding the structure of a mobile device andhow it communicates with other devices, reference is made to FIGS. 1through 3.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a mobile device in oneexample implementation is shown generally as 100. Mobile device 100comprises a number of components, the controlling component beingmicroprocessor 102. Microprocessor 102 controls the overall operation ofmobile device 100. Communication functions, including data and voicecommunications, are performed through communication subsystem 104.Communication subsystem 104 receives messages from and sends messages toa wireless network 200. In this example implementation of mobile device100, communication subsystem 104 is configured in accordance with theGlobal System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and General Packet RadioServices (GPRS) standards. The GSM/GPRS wireless network is usedworldwide and it is expected that these standards will be supersededeventually by Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) and Universal MobileTelecommunications Service (UMTS). New standards are still beingdefined, but it is believed that they will have similarities to thenetwork behaviour described herein, and it will also be understood bypersons skilled in the art that the invention is intended to use anyother suitable standards that are developed in the future. The wirelesslink connecting communication subsystem 104 with network 200 representsone or more different Radio Frequency (RF) channels, operating accordingto defined protocols specified for GSM/GPRS communications. With newernetwork protocols, these channels are capable of supporting both circuitswitched voice communications and packet switched data communications.

Although the wireless network associated with mobile device 100 is aGSM/GPRS wireless network in one example implementation of mobile device100, other wireless networks may also be associated with mobile device100 in variant implementations. Different types of wireless networksthat may be employed include, for example, data-centric wirelessnetworks, voice-centric wireless networks, and dual-mode networks thatcan support both voice and data communications over the same physicalbase stations. Combined dual-mode networks include, but are not limitedto, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or CDMA2000 networks, GSM/GPRSnetworks (as mentioned above), and future third-generation (3G) networkslike EDGE and UMTS. Some older examples of data-centric networks includethe Mobitex™ Radio Network and the DataTAC™ Radio Network. Examples ofolder voice-centric data networks include Personal Communication Systems(PCS) networks like GSM and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)systems.

Microprocessor 102 also interacts with additional subsystems such as aRandom Access Memory (RAM) 106, flash memory 108, display 110, auxiliaryinput/output (I/O) subsystem 112, serial port 114, keyboard 116, speaker118, microphone 120, short-range communications 122 and other devices124.

Some of the subsystems of mobile device 100 performcommunication-related functions, whereas other subsystems may provide“resident” or on-device functions. By way of example, display 110 andkeyboard 116 may be used for both communication-related functions, suchas entering a text message for transmission over network 200, anddevice-resident functions such as a calculator or task list. Operatingsystem software used by microprocessor 102 is typically stored in apersistent store such as flash memory 108, which may alternatively be aread-only memory (ROM) or similar storage element (not shown). Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the operating system, specificdevice applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into avolatile store such as RAM 106.

Mobile device 100 may send and receive communication signals overnetwork 200 after required network registration or activation procedureshave been completed. Network access is associated with a subscriber oruser of a mobile device 100. To identify a subscriber, mobile device 100requires a Subscriber Identity Module or “SIM” card 126 to be insertedin a SIM interface 128 in order to communicate with a network. SIM 126is one type of a conventional “smart card” used to identify a subscriberof mobile device 100 and to personalize the mobile device 100, amongother things. Without SIM 126, mobile device 100 is not fullyoperational for communication with network 200. By inserting SIM 126into SIM interface 128, a subscriber can access all subscribed services.Services could include: web browsing and messaging such as e-mail, voicemail, Short Message Service (SMS), and Multimedia Messaging Services(MMS). More advanced services may include: point of sale, field serviceand sales force automation. SIM 126 includes a processor and memory forstoring information. Once SIM 126 is inserted in SIM interface 128, itis coupled to microprocessor 102. In order to identify the subscriber,SIM 126 contains some user parameters such as an International MobileSubscriber Identity (IMSI). An advantage of using SIM 126 is that asubscriber is not necessarily bound by any single physical mobiledevice. SIM 126 may store additional subscriber information for a mobiledevice as well, including datebook (or calendar) information and recentcall information.

Mobile device 100 is a battery-powered device and includes a batteryinterface 132 for receiving one or more rechargeable batteries 130.Battery interface 132 is coupled to a regulator (not shown), whichassists battery 130 in providing power V+ to mobile device 100. Althoughcurrent technology makes use of a battery, future technologies such asmicro fuel cells may provide the power to mobile device 100.

Microprocessor 102, in addition to its operating system functions,enables execution of software applications on mobile device 100. A setof applications that control basic device operations, including data andvoice communication applications, will normally be installed on mobiledevice 100 during its manufacture. Another application that may beloaded onto mobile device 100 would be a personal information manager(PIM). A PIM has functionality to organize and manage data items ofinterest to a subscriber, such as, but not limited to, e-mail, calendarevents, voice mails, appointments, and task items. A PIM application hasthe ability to send and receive data items via wireless network 200. PIMdata items may be seamlessly integrated, synchronized, and updated viawireless network 200 with the mobile device subscriber's correspondingdata items stored and/or associated with a host computer system. Thisfunctionality creates a mirrored host computer on mobile device 100 withrespect to such items. This can be particularly advantageous where thehost computer system is the mobile device subscriber's office computersystem.

Additional applications may also be loaded onto mobile device 100through network 200, auxiliary I/O subsystem 112, serial port 114,short-range communications subsystem 122, or any other suitablesubsystem 124. This flexibility in application installation increasesthe functionality of mobile device 100 and may provide enhancedon-device functions, communication-related functions, or both. Forexample, secure communication applications may enable electroniccommerce functions and other such financial transactions to be performedusing mobile device 100.

Serial port 114 enables a subscriber to set preferences through anexternal device or software application and extends the capabilities ofmobile device 100 by providing for information or software downloads tomobile device 100 other than through a wireless communication network.The alternate download path may, for example, be used to load anencryption key onto mobile device 100 through a direct and thus reliableand trusted connection to provide secure device communication.

Short-range communications subsystem 122 provides for communicationbetween mobile device 100 and different systems or devices, without theuse of network 200. For example, subsystem 122 may include an infrareddevice and associated circuits and components for short-rangecommunication. Examples of short range communication would includestandards developed by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth,and the 802.11 family of standards developed by IEEE.

In use, a received signal such as a text message, an e-mail message, orweb page download will be processed by communication subsystem 104 andinput to microprocessor 102. Microprocessor 102 will then process thereceived signal for output to display 110 or alternatively to auxiliaryI/O subsystem 112. A subscriber may also compose data items, such ase-mail messages, for example, using keyboard 116 in conjunction withdisplay 110 and possibly auxiliary 110 subsystem 112. Auxiliarysubsystem 112 may include devices such as: a touch screen, mouse, trackball, infrared fingerprint detector, or a roller wheel with dynamicbutton pressing capability. Keyboard 116 is an alphanumeric keyboardand/or telephone-type keypad. A composed item may be transmitted overnetwork 200 through communication subsystem 104.

For voice communications, the overall operation of mobile device 100 issubstantially similar, except that the received signals would be outputto speaker 118, and signals for transmission would be generated bymicrophone 120. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as avoice message recording subsystem, may also be implemented on mobiledevice 100. Although voice or audio signal output is accomplishedprimarily through speaker 118, display 110 may also be used to provideadditional information such as the identity of a calling party, durationof a voice call, or other voice call related information.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of the communication subsystemcomponent 104 of FIG. 1 is shown. Communication subsystem 104 comprisesa receiver 150, a transmitter 152, one or more embedded or internalantenna elements 154, 156, Local Oscillators (LOs) 158, and a processingmodule such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 160.

The particular design of communication subsystem 104 is dependent uponthe network 200 in which mobile device 100 is intended to operate, thusit should be understood that the design illustrated in FIG. 2 servesonly as one example. Signals received by antenna 154 through network 200are input to receiver 150, which may perform such common receiverfunctions as signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering,channel selection, and analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. A/Dconversion of a received signal allows more complex communicationfunctions such as demodulation and decoding to be performed in DSP 160.In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted are processed, includingmodulation and encoding, by DSP 160. These DSP-processed signals areinput to transmitter 152 for digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion,frequency up conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission overnetwork 200 via antenna 156. DSP 160 not only processes communicationsignals, but also provides for receiver and transmitter control. Forexample, the gains applied to communication signals in receiver 150 andtransmitter 152 may be adaptively controlled through automatic gaincontrol algorithms implemented in DSP 160.

The wireless link between mobile device 100 and a network 200 maycontain one or more different channels, typically different RF channels,and associated protocols used between mobile device 100 and network 200.A RF channel is a limited resource that must be conserved, typically dueto limits in overall bandwidth and limited battery power of mobiledevice 100.

When mobile device 100 is fully operational, transmitter 152 istypically keyed or turned on only when it is sending to network 200 andis otherwise turned off to conserve resources. Similarly, receiver 150is periodically turned off to conserve power until it is needed toreceive signals or information (if at all) during designated timeperiods.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a node of a wireless networkis shown as 202. In practice, network 200 comprises one or more nodes202. Mobile device 100 communicates with a node 202 within wirelessnetwork 200. In the example implementation of FIG. 3, node 202 isconfigured in accordance with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) andGlobal Systems for Mobile (GSM) technologies. Node 202 includes a basestation controller (BSC) 204 with an associated tower station 206, aPacket Control Unit (PCU) 208 added for GPRS support in GSM, a MobileSwitching Center (MSC) 210, a Home Location Register (HLR) 212, aVisitor Location Registry (VLR) 214, a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)216, a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) 218, and a Dynamic HostConfiguration Protocol (DHCP) 220. This list of components is not meantto be an exhaustive list of the components of every node 202 within aGSM/GPRS network, but rather a list of components that are commonly usedin communications through network 200.

In a GSM network, MSC 210 is coupled to BSC 204 and to a landlinenetwork, such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 222 tosatisfy circuit switched requirements. The connection through PCU 208,SGSN 216 and GGSN 218 to the public or private network (Internet) 224(also referred to herein generally as a shared network infrastructure)represents the data path for GPRS capable mobile devices. In a GSMnetwork extended with GPRS capabilities, BSC 204 also contains a PacketControl Unit (PCU) 208 that connects to SGSN 216 to controlsegmentation, radio channel allocation and to satisfy packet switchedrequirements. To track mobile device location and availability for bothcircuit switched and packet switched management, HLR 212 is sharedbetween MSC 210 and SGSN 216. Access to VLR 214 is controlled by MSC210.

Station 206 is a fixed transceiver station. Station 206 and BSC 204together form the fixed transceiver equipment. The fixed transceiverequipment provides wireless network coverage for a particular coveragearea commonly referred to as a “cell”. The fixed transceiver equipmenttransmits communication signals to and receives communication signalsfrom mobile devices within its cell via station 206. The fixedtransceiver equipment normally performs such functions as modulation andpossibly encoding and/or encryption of signals to be transmitted to themobile device in accordance with particular, usually predetermined,communication protocols and parameters, under control of its controller.The fixed transceiver equipment similarly demodulates and possiblydecodes and decrypts, if necessary, any communication signals receivedfrom mobile device 100 within its cell. Communication protocols andparameters may vary between different nodes. For example, one node mayemploy a different modulation scheme and operate at differentfrequencies than other nodes.

For all mobile devices 100 registered with a specific network, permanentconfiguration data such as a user profile is stored in HLR 212. HLR 212also contains location information for each registered mobile device andcan be queried to determine the current location of a mobile device. MSC210 is responsible for a group of location areas and stores the data ofthe mobile devices currently in its area of responsibility in VLR 214.Further VLR 214 also contains information on mobile devices that arevisiting other networks. The information in VLR 214 includes part of thepermanent mobile device data transmitted from HLR 212 to VLR 214 forfaster access. By moving additional information from a remote HLR 212node to VLR 214, the amount of traffic between these nodes can bereduced so that voice and data services can be provided with fasterresponse times and at the same time requiring less use of computingresources.

SGSN 216 and GGSN 218 are elements added for GPRS support; namely packetswitched data support, within GSM. SGSN 216 and MSC 210 have similarresponsibilities within wireless network 200 by keeping track of thelocation of each mobile device 100. SGSN 216 also performs securityfunctions and access control for data traffic on network 200. GGSN 218provides internetworking connections with external packet switchednetworks and connects to one or more SGSNs 216 via an Internet Protocol(IP) backbone network operated within the network 200. During normaloperations, a given mobile device 100 must perform a “GPRS Attach” toacquire an IP address and to access data services. This requirement isnot present in circuit switched voice channels as Integrated ServicesDigital Network (ISDN) addresses are used for routing incoming andoutgoing calls. Currently, all GPRS capable networks use private,dynamically assigned IP addresses, thus requiring a DHCP server 220connected to the GGSN 218. There are many mechanisms for dynamic IPassignment, including using a combination of a Remote AuthenticationDial-In User Service (RADIUS) server and DHCP server. Once the GPRSAttach is complete, a logical connection is established from a mobiledevice 100, through PCU 208, and SGSN 216 to an Access Point Node (APN)within GGSN 218. The APN represents a logical end of an IP tunnel thatcan either access direct Internet compatible services or private networkconnections. The APN also represents a security mechanism for network200, insofar as each mobile device 100 must be assigned to one or moreAPNs and mobile devices 100 cannot exchange data without firstperforming a GPRS Attach to an APN that it has been authorized to use.The APN may be considered to be similar to an Internet domain name suchas “myconnection.wireless.com”.

Once the GPRS Attach is complete, a tunnel is created and all traffic isexchanged within standard IP packets using any protocol that can besupported in IP packets. This includes tunneling methods such as IP overIP as in the case with some IPSecurity (IPsec) connections used withVirtual Private Networks (VPN). These tunnels are also referred to asPacket Data Protocol (PDP) Contexts and there are a limited number ofthese available in the network 200. To maximize use of the PDP Contexts,network 200 will run an idle timer for each PDP Context to determine ifthere is a lack of activity. When a mobile device 100 is not using itsPDP Context, the PDP Context can be de-allocated and the IP addressreturned to the IP address pool managed by DHCP server 220.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a block diagram illustrating further aspects ofmobile device 100 of FIG. 1 is shown generally as 300. As noted earlierwith reference to FIG. 1, microprocessor 102, in addition to itsoperating system functions, enables execution of software applicationson mobile device 100. A set of applications that control basic deviceoperations, including data and voice communication applications, willnormally be installed on mobile device 100 during its manufacture.Operating system software and other software applications are typicallystored in a persistent store (e.g. flash memory 106) or other store, onmobile device 100 or on a device coupled thereto. It will be understoodthat the operating system, software applications or parts thereof, maybe temporarily loaded in a volatile store such as RAM 106. Otherinstructions and/or data received by the mobile device 100 and subjectto processing may also be temporarily stored in RAM 106.

Software applications that are loaded or stored on mobile device 100 maybe implemented as functional components or modules 310. Modules 310interact with various components of mobile device 100. For instance, asshown by way of example in FIG. 4, modules 310 may interact withcommunication subsystem 104, RAM 106, flash memory 108, display 110,auxiliary I/O device(s) 112, and keyboard 116. Modules 310 may comprise,for example, an address book module 312, a messaging module 314 (e.g.for e-mail and/or SMS or MMS messaging), and a phone application module316.

Address book module 312 is generally configured to allow contactinformation (e.g. individual contact and company names, telephonenumbers, messaging addresses, and other information) to be stored andmanaged. Messaging module 314 facilitates the sending and receiving ofelectronic messages over a wireless network 200 and/or other network.

Phone application module 316 is generally configured to facilitate voicecommunication between the user and other parties, including theplacement of outgoing calls by the user and the reception of incomingcalls on the mobile device 100.

Calls may be placed and received on a communication line specificallyconfigured for voice communications. In certain embodiments, calls mayalternatively or additionally be placed and received on other types ofcommunication lines, including a communication line generally configuredfor data communications, or a communication line configured for bothvoice and data communications, for example. For example, mobile device100 may be configured to provide Voice over IP (VoIP), Enterprise Voice,and/or video phone functionality.

Embodiments described herein are generally applicable to mobile devicesthat provide access to multiple (i.e. two or more) communication lineson which outgoing calls may be placed, as initiated by a mobile deviceuser. Typically, these mobile devices will also be configured to allowincoming calls to be received by the user over the same communicationlines.

In example embodiments, each of the multiple communication lines has adifferent telephone number associated therewith. For example, a user mayhave a business phone number and a different personal phone number. Whena user places an outgoing call on a specific communication line, thephone number associated with that communication line may be identifiedon a receiving party's phone that is equipped with “call display”functionality.

Referring again to FIG. 4, a line selection module (e.g. alternate lineservice (ALS) module) 318 is provided to facilitate selection of thecommunication line to be used by phone application module 316 forplacing an outgoing call, for example. The line selection module 318 isconfigured to select a communication line to be used by phoneapplication module 316, based upon line selection data stored on mobiledevice 100 (e.g. configuration settings that define a defaultcommunication line), and/or based upon input received by the user. Itwill be understood that the functionality of line selection module 318may be provided or otherwise integrated with phone application module316 or with a different module on mobile device 100.

The currently selected communication line on which an outgoing call maybe placed at any given time is also referred to herein as the “active”line. Outgoing calls will be placed on the active line by phoneapplication module 316 until an alternate communication line isselected.

When a user wishes to initiate an outgoing call, the user will typicallybe required to access a call screen provided by an application (e.g.phone application module 316) on mobile device 100. Data identifying theactive line will be displayed to the user in a first display field,(e.g. “My Number” field, or phone status field) of the call screen,allowing the user to quickly identify the communication line on which anoutgoing call will be placed should the user to choose to initiate suchcall. This display field may also be referred to as an active line datadisplay field. The data identifying the active line typically comprisesa telephone number, but may alternatively or additionally comprise someother communication line identifier(s), such as a line descriptor,alias, and/or other identifier, for example.

Since mobile devices may provide access to multiple communication lines,and since multiple calling features (e.g. voicemail, call forwarding,call waiting, call barring, and/or missed call detection) may be appliedto each communication line, showing the status of each calling featurefor each communication line in a manner that does not confuse the usercan be difficult, particularly on devices with limited screen space.

For example, on the one hand, providing icons showing the status ofevery calling feature for every communication line on a display evenwhen such information is not immediately required by a user (e.g. whereone communication line is in use more often than others), whileproviding detailed information to the user, may overwhelm or confuse theuser. This approach may also require excessive screen space, which isoften limited on a device such as a mobile device.

However, on the other hand, displaying only icons for the active line,while conserving screen space, may not provide sufficient informationregarding the status of calling features in respect of othercommunication lines to the user in a convenient manner.

Embodiments described herein are generally directed to a system andmethod for providing calling feature icons in a user interface thatallow users to determine with ease the status of different callingfeatures, and in respect of at least one embodiment, to identify withease the communication lines associated with calling features that havebeen enabled (and/or disabled) on the mobile device.

In one example embodiment, the calling features comprise at least one ofcall forwarding and voicemail.

In variant embodiments, other calling features may be provided inaddition to or instead of one or more of the call forwarding andvoicemail calling features.

For example, missed call detection may be enabled such that a callingfeature icon (e.g. a general calling feature icon and/or one or moreline-specific calling feature icons, as described herein) is displayableto indicate that a call was unanswered on a given communication line.

As a further example, call waiting may be enabled such that a callingfeature icon is displayable to indicate that the user will be alerted tothe reception of a call on the mobile device while the user is engagedin a different call.

As a further example, call barring (or “restricted phone list”) may beenabled to indicate that the mobile device has been configured to allowonly certain numbers to be called using a specific communication line.For example, the mobile device may be configured so that only an officenumber can be called using a business line, while any number can becalled using a personal line. As a further example, the mobile devicemay be configured so that long distance calls may not be made from aparticular communication line. The particular call barring restrictionsmay be enforced by way of a security policy (“IT Policy”), as may bedefined by an administrator, for example.

While a calling feature icon may be displayed to indicate that aparticular feature has been activated or enabled for a particularcommunication line, a calling feature icon may also be displayed toindicate that a particular calling feature has been disabled for thecommunication line in variant embodiments.

In example embodiments, for each calling feature, at most one generalcalling feature icon associated with the respective calling feature isdisplayed in a general calling feature icon display field of a callscreen if the respective calling feature applies to at least one of aplurality of communication lines accessible at the mobile device.

For example, in one embodiment, at most one call forwarding icon isdisplayed in the general calling feature icon display field of the callscreen if call forwarding has been enabled on at least one of theplurality of communication lines.

For example, in one embodiment, at most one voicemail icon is displayedin the general calling feature icon display field of the call screen ifat least one voicemail message associated with at least one of theplurality of communication lines is stored.

Similarly, in other embodiments, for any other given calling featuresupported by the mobile device, at most one general calling feature iconis displayed in the general calling feature icon display field if therespective calling feature has been, for example, enabled on the mobiledevice.

As described herein, general calling feature icons (or “ribbonindicators”) are displayable in the general calling feature icon displayfield of the call screen. The placement of this display field within theuser interface can vary depending on implementation. For example, thegeneral calling feature icons may be displayed in its own header orribbon, above where the data identifying the active line is displayed.

The general calling feature icons are not intended to identify thespecific communication lines for which certain calling features areenabled, rendering it unnecessary to annotate icons with line numbers,for example. The general calling feature icons indicate that the statusof a particular calling feature applies to at least one of the multiplecommunication lines accessible at the mobile device. In certainembodiments, the user can rely instead on information provided byline-specific calling feature icons (e.g. as shown in display fieldwhere data identifying the active line is displayed or in entries of aline selection menu, as described below) to determine the status of aparticular calling feature for a given communication line.

In at least one embodiment, for each calling feature, a line-specificcalling feature icon associated with the respective calling feature isdisplayed in an active line data display field if the respective callingfeature applies to the active line.

For example, in one embodiment, a call forwarding icon is displayed inthe active line data display field of the call screen if call forwardinghas been enabled on the active line.

For example, in one embodiment, a voicemail icon is displayed in theactive line data display field of the call screen if at least onevoicemail message associated with the active line is stored.

Similarly, in other embodiments, for any other given calling featuresupported by the mobile device, at most one line-specific callingfeature icon is displayed in the active line data display field of thecall screen if the respective calling feature has been, for example,enabled on the mobile device.

In one embodiment, where one communication line replaces another as theactive line (e.g. in response to a user selection of a new active line),data in the active line data display field is updated. In particular,for each calling feature, a line-specific calling feature iconassociated with the respective calling feature is displayed in theactive line data display field if the respective calling feature appliesto the new active line.

In some embodiments, calling feature icons may be displayed in a systemconfigured to provide a line selection menu on a call screen of themobile device. In one example of such system, a direction to display aline selection menu on the call screen is received from the user, wherethe line selection menu is comprised of data identifying one or more ofthe multiple communication lines accessible at the mobile device. Forexample, for each communication line on which the user may place anoutgoing call, the telephone number associated with the respectivecommunication line may be displayed in the line selection menu. As afurther example, one or more line descriptors, aliases and/or otheridentifiers may be displayed, in addition to or instead of the telephonenumber. In response to a direction received from the user, the lineselection menu is displayed on the call screen, and an input identifyinga user-selected communication line is received. The active line datadisplay field is updated accordingly.

In at least one embodiment, for each calling feature, and for eachcommunication line identified in a line selection menu, a line-specificcalling feature icon associated with the respective calling feature isdisplayed in the line selection menu if the respective calling featureapplies to the respective communication line.

For example, in one embodiment, a call forwarding icon is displayed inassociation with a given communication line identified in the lineselection menu if call forwarding has been enabled on that communicationline.

For example, in one embodiment, a voicemail icon is displayed inassociation with a given communication line identified in the lineselection menu if at least one voicemail message associated with thatcommunication line is stored.

Similarly, in other embodiments, for any other given calling featuresupported by the mobile device, at most one line-specific callingfeature icon is displayed in association with a given communication lineidentified in the line selection menu if the respective calling featurehas been, for example, enabled for that communication line on the mobiledevice.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flowchart illustrating steps of a method ofproviding calling feature icons in a user interface that facilitatesuser selection of a communication line for an outgoing call on a mobiledevice in accordance with at least one embodiment is shown generally as400. Additional details of some of the features described below inrespect of the steps of method 400 may be described earlier in thepresent specification.

In one embodiment, the steps of method 400 are performed at the mobiledevice by an application (e.g. phone application module 316 of FIG. 4)that executes and resides on the mobile device (e.g. mobile device 100of FIG. 1). The application need not be a stand-alone application, andthe functionality described herein may be implemented in one or moreapplications executing and residing on the mobile device.

At step 410, a call screen is provided. The call screen is displayed tothe user on a display (e.g. display 110 of FIG. 1) of the mobile device.A user may access the call screen when the user wishes to initiate anoutgoing call. This may require first activating a phone application orother application on the mobile device, by selecting a correspondingitem or icon from a menu or home screen, for example (not shown).

The mobile device provides access to multiple communication lines onwhich outgoing calls may be placed. At step 412, the status of each ofat least one calling feature (e.g. call forwarding, voicemail) isdetermined for each of the communication lines.

At step 420, data identifying a first of the multiple communicationlines accessible at the mobile device is displayed in a first displayfield (“active line data display field”) of the call screen. The firstdisplay field may be referred to as a “My Number” field or a “phonestatus” field, and data displayed therein identifies the active line,allowing the user to quickly identify the line on which an outgoing callwill be placed should the user to choose to initiate one.

The data identifying the active line typically comprises a telephonenumber associated with the active line, but may alternatively oradditionally comprise some other communication line identifier(s), suchas, for example, one or more aliases, identifiers and/or otherdescriptors (e.g. “My Business Line”, “My Personal Line”), which may beuser-defined.

At step 422, one or more line-specific calling feature icons associatedwith the active line may also be displayed in the first display field ofthe call screen. For example, if call forwarding has been enabled forthe active line, a call forwarding icon is displayed in the firstdisplay field at this step. As a further example, if a voicemail messagefor the active line is stored, a voicemail icon is displayed in thefirst display field at this step. As a further example, otherline-specific calling feature icons associated with the active line maybe displayed at this step (e.g. for call waiting, call barring, and/ormissed call detection).

At step 424, one or more general calling feature icons may be displayedin a second display field (“general calling feature icon displayfield”). For each calling feature provided by the mobile device, ageneral calling feature icon is displayed at this step if the respectivecalling feature applies to at least one of the multiple communicationlines accessible at the mobile device.

For example, where a mobile device provides access to two communicationlines (e.g. a business line and a personal line), a general callforwarding icon is displayed if either communication line has callforwarding enabled. Similarly, a general voicemail icon is displayed ifeither communication line has a voicemail message stored (e.g. avoicemail message for a call received on the particular communicationline that has not been listened to or read by the user). Similarly, ageneral calling feature icon for any other given calling featuresupported by the mobile device is displayed if the respective callingfeature has been, for example, enabled on either communication line.

It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that steps 420, 422and 424 may be performed in a different order.

Subsequently, an input comprising a direction to display a lineselection menu on the call screen is received from the user. In oneembodiment, the step of receiving the input comprising a direction todisplay a line selection menu on the call screen comprises: detectingwhen a selection element (e.g. a highlight bar, pointer, cursor, orother means to identify and select menu or list items) displayed on thecall screen has been moved into the first display field as shown at 430,and subsequently detecting when the user provides the direction todisplay the line selection menu while the selection element is settledin the first display field as shown at 440.

The selection element may be re-positioned at the direction of the user,using an input device such as a track wheel, track ball, keyboard,mouse, or other input device. For example, the user may use a trackwheel or track ball on the mobile device, where provided, to manipulatea highlight bar shown in the display. In particular, by rotating thetrack wheel or track ball in this example, the highlight bar may bere-positioned to highlight the data displayed in the first display field(e.g. the telephone number associated with the active line) of the callscreen. Once data identifying the active line is highlighted, bymanipulating the track wheel or track ball so that the highlight barsettles in the first display field, the user may then take furtheraction. For example, the user may depress the track wheel or track ballto direct that the line selection menu be displayed.

In a variant embodiment, the step of receiving the input comprising adirection to display a line selection menu on the call screen comprises:optionally detecting when the selection element (e.g. a highlight bar,pointer, cursor, or other means to identify and select menu or listitems) displayed on the call screen has been moved into the firstdisplay field as shown at 430, subsequently detecting when the userprovides a direction to display an options menu while the selectionelement is settled in the first display field as shown at 432, anddisplaying the options menu as shown at 434. The options menu providesthe user with an option to display the line selection menu, and the flowof method steps proceeds to step 440, to detect when the user providesthe direction to display the line selection menu by selecting thecorresponding option.

In some embodiments, the user may be able to provide the direction todisplay the line selection menu through the display options menu; inother embodiments, the options menu is not provided to the user (inwhich case, steps 432 and 434 would not be performed). In otherembodiments, the user may be able to provide the direction to displaythe line selection menu with or without the benefit of the options menuas determined by the specific input provided by the user after theselection element has been moved into the first display field.

At step 450, the line selection menu is displayed to the user inresponse to the input comprising a direction to display a line selectionmenu on the call screen received from the user, as detected at step 440.The line selection menu comprises data identifying at least a subset ofthe multiple communication lines accessible at the mobile device. Forexample, the line selection menu identifies all the communication lineson which the user may make an outgoing call.

In one embodiment, data identifying the currently active line appearsfirst in the line selection menu.

In one embodiment, the line selection menu overlaps the first displayfield, such that data in the first display field is not visible to theuser when the line selection menu is displayed.

It may be the case that the mobile device provides access to multiplecommunication lines, but not all are activated for use, the use ofcertain lines has been restricted in some manner (e.g. as configured bya security policy), or certain lines are otherwise unavailable, forexample. In one embodiment, the line selection menu comprises dataidentifying only the communication lines that have been activated and onwhich the user is permitted to place an outgoing call. In oneembodiment, for each calling feature, a general calling feature icon forthe respective calling feature is displayed at step 424 only if therespective calling feature applies to at least one of the communicationlines that have been activated and on which the user is permitted toplace an outgoing call.

The data for any given communication line represented in the lineselection menu typically comprises a telephone number, but mayalternatively or additionally comprise some other communication lineidentifier(s), such as, for example, one or more aliases, identifiersand/or other descriptors (e.g. “My Business Line”, “My Personal Line”),which may be user-defined.

At step 452, for each calling feature, and for each communication line,a line-specific calling feature icon associated with the respectivecommunication line may also be displayed in association with thecorresponding menu item in the line selection menu if the respectivecalling feature applies to the respective communication line.

For example, a call forwarding icon is displayed for each communicationline identified in the line selection menu that has call forwardingenabled. Similarly, a voicemail icon is displayed for each communicationline identified in the line selection menu that has a voicemail messagestored (e.g. a voicemail message for a call received on the particularcommunication line that has not been listened to or read by the user).Similarly, for each communication line identified in the line selectionmenu, a line-specific calling feature icon for any given calling featuresupported by the mobile device is displayed if the respective callingfeature has been, for example, enabled on the respective communicationline.

In one embodiment, where the communication lines are identified in theline selection menu in the form of a list of telephone numbers and/orother identifier(s), a line-specific calling feature icon to bedisplayed in association with a communication line is displayed besidethe corresponding telephone number and/or other identifier(s).

Referring again to step 450, a selection element (e.g. a highlight bar,pointer, cursor, or other means to identify and select menu or listitems) is displayed within the line selection menu and may bere-positioned at the direction of the user, using an input device suchas a track wheel, track ball, keyboard, mouse, or other input device.For example, the user may use a track wheel or track ball on mobiledevice, where provided, to manipulate a highlight bar shown in thedisplay. In particular, by rotating the track wheel or track ball inthis example, the highlight bar may be re-positioned to highlight thedata associated with a particular communication line (e.g. the telephonenumber associated with one of the subset of the multiple communicationlines) displayed in the line selection menu. Once the user highlights adesired communication line, by manipulating the track wheel or trackball so that the highlight bar settles on the associated data, the usermay then take further action. For example, the user may depress thetrack wheel or track ball to select the desired communication line.

Accordingly, at step 460, an input identifying a user-selected secondcommunication line from the communication lines for which associateddata is displayed in the line selection menu at step 450, is receivedfrom the user.

At step 470, the first display field is updated with data identifyingthe user-selected communication line. Accordingly, the user-selectedcommunication line is identified to the user as the current active line.For example, the “My Number” field or phone status field may be updatedwith the telephone number of the user-selected communication line in oneembodiment. Line-specific calling feature icons associated with theactive line are also updated at this step, wherein for each callingfeature, a line-specific calling feature icon is only displayed in thefirst display field if the respective calling feature applies to theuser-selected communication line.

In one embodiment, data associated with outgoing calls previously madeon the mobile device and/or with received calls (e.g. a call log) may bedisplayed to the user in a second display field of the call screen. In avariant embodiment, data in the second display field is also updatedwhen data in the first display field is updated, so that data associatedfor calls made and/or received on the communication line now identifiedby the data currently displayed in the first display field (i.e. the“new” active line) would be displayed to the user [step not shown].

At step 480, an outgoing call is initiated on the user-selectedcommunication line, identified from the line selection menu at step 460,as directed by the user. The outgoing call is initiated from the callscreen in known manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 6A to 6D, screenshots of a user interfaceprovided to a user in one example implementation of an embodiment of themethod of FIG. 5 are shown.

In FIG. 6A, screenshot 500 a illustrates a user interface displayed in adisplay 110 of a mobile device 100 (FIG. 1), namely for a call screenfrom which the user can place outgoing calls. Call screen 500 a isdisplayed to the user, awaiting user input (e.g. a number to be dialed).A number entry field 502 is provided, and cursor 504 is settled withinnumber entry field 502, indicating that the user may provide a callnumber (e.g. using a keyboard or keypad). General indicators may bedisplayed on call screen 500 a, including for example, time 506, date508, network indicator 510, signal strength 512, battery strength 514,charging indicator 516, alarm indicator 518, service provider indicator520, ringer indicator 522, and/or Bluetooth™ indicator 524.

An active line data display field 530 is also provided, which containsdata identifying the active line. This data may include a linedescriptor 532 (e.g. “Personal:”, “Business:”), an associated telephonenumber 534, and/or possibly one or more line-specific calling featureicons. In this example, a voicemail icon 536 is shown indicating that avoicemail message associated with an incoming call received on theactive line is awaiting consideration by the user. Further, in thisexample, a call forwarding icon 538 is shown indicating that a “callforwarding” feature has been activated for the active line.

One or more general calling feature icons are also provided in generalcalling feature icon display field 540 of call screen 500 a. The iconsshown in display field 540 indicate, for example, which line-specificcalling features have been activated for at least one communication lineaccessible at the mobile device. In this manner, if certainline-specific calling feature icons are not displayed in display field530 with respect to the active line but the corresponding generalcalling feature icon is displayed in display field 540, the user willknow that certain calling features have been activated for acommunication line other than the active line.

In this example embodiment, call screen 500 a also provides a call logfield 550 in which data associated with previously placed outgoing callsand received calls (e.g. including answered and missed calls) isdisplayed. For each such call, the associated date 552 of the call, anicon 554 indicating the nature of the call (e.g. outgoing, answered,missed), and call information (e.g. telephone number and/or contact name556, line descriptor 558) is provided. In this particular example, callinformation for calls previously placed or received using the mobiledevice 100 is shown, which does not depend on the currently active linefor which data is displayed in display field 530. However, this maydiffer in variant embodiments.

In FIG. 6B, screenshot 500 b illustrates similar elements as shown inFIG. 6B, except that cursor 504 has been re-positioned by the user (e.g.by using a track wheel or track ball of the mobile device), to highlightthe data associated with the active line as displayed in display field530. Cursor 504 is now shown as a highlight bar 560 settled in displayfield 530.

In FIG. 6C, screenshot 500 c illustrates similar elements as shown inFIG. 6B, except that the user has directed that a line selection menu570 be displayed (e.g. by depressing the track wheel or track ball ofthe mobile device).

Highlight bar 560 is shown initially highlighting data associated withthe current active line 572 provided in line selection menu 570. Lineselection menu 570 also comprises further items (where the user canaccess one or more alternate lines on which an outgoing call may beplaced) that provide data associated with an alternate communicationline 574. For each item of line selection menu 570, where each item isassociated with a different communication line, the data may similarlyinclude a line descriptor (e.g. “Personal:”, “Business:”), an associatedtelephone number, and/or possibly one or more line-specific callingfeature icons. In the example shown in FIG. 6C, the “Business” line doesnot have “call forwarding” activated, nor is a voicemail waiting for theuser in respect of that communication line.

The user may move the highlight bar 560 to select a different item inline selection menu 570, thereby selecting a different communicationline as the active line. More specifically, the user highlights the dataassociated with the alternate communication line 574 (e.g. using thetrack wheel or track ball) and selects the alternate communication line(e.g. by depressing the track wheel or track ball). When the alternatecommunication line has been selected by the user, the data associatedwith the active line as shown in display field 530 is updated to reflectthe selection, as shown in screenshot 500 d of FIG. 6D. Cursor 504 issettled within number entry field 502, indicating that the user may thenprovide a call number. Outgoing calls will be placed on thecommunication line identified by the data shown in display field 530(unless the active line is changed again).

It is notable in this example that the general calling feature icons arestill displayed, even though no line-specific calling feature icons aredisplayed in association with the new active line.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A to 7E, screenshots of a user interfaceprovided to a user in an example implementation of another embodiment ofthe method of FIG. 5 are shown.

In this example, FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7D, and 7E correspond to FIGS. 6A, 6B,6C, and 6D respectively. Features of the screenshots shown in FIGS. 7A,7B, 7D, and 7E have been generally described in preceding paragraphswith reference to the corresponding figure of FIGS. 6A to 6D.

In this embodiment, the user may direct that the line selection menu 570(shown in FIG. 7D) be displayed through an options menu 562 as shown inscreenshot 500 e of FIG. 7C (which would appear after screenshot 500 band before screenshot 500 c in a typical sequence of operations). Forexample, the user may have directed that a line selection menu 570(shown in FIG. 6D) be optionally displayed via the options menu 562 bydepressing a pre-programmed menu or options key on the mobile device(e.g. or by depressing the track wheel or track ball of the mobiledevice depending upon the configuration).

Options menu 562 provides an option to display the line selection menu570, shown in this example as a “Change Line” option 564 in FIG. 7C.Other options (e.g. to request help, call voice mail using the currentlyidentified active line, edit communication line information, switch to adifferent application, and/or close the options menu 562) may also beprovided in options menu 562. The user can navigate the options menu 562by moving a highlight bar or other cursor for example, to select thedesired option in known manner (e.g. by depressing the track wheel ortrack ball of the mobile device so as to make a selection).

In this example, upon selection of option 564 from options menu 562, theline selection menu 570 is displayed, as shown in FIG. 7D.

It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that the features ofthe user interfaces illustrated with reference to the examplescreenshots described herein are provided by way of example only. Itwill be understood by persons skilled in the art that variations arepossible in variant implementations and embodiments.

The steps of a method of providing a user interface that facilitatesuser selection of a communication line for an outgoing call on a mobiledevice in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein may beprovided as executable software instructions stored on computer-readablemedia, which may include transmission-type media.

The invention has been described with regard to a number of embodiments.However, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that othervariants and modifications may be made without departing from the scopeof the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: adisplay; a processor coupled to the display, the processor configuredto: render a call screen on the display; determine a status of at leastone calling feature for each of a plurality of communication lines thatare selectable for outgoing calls from the electronic device; for eachof the at least one calling feature, render one general calling featureicon associated with the calling feature in a general calling featureicon display field of the call screen if the calling feature applies toat least one of the plurality of communication lines, and eliminate theone general calling feature icon from the general calling feature icondisplay field if the respective calling feature applies to none of theplurality of communication lines; in response to an input, render on thedisplay a line selection menu identifying at least one of the pluralityof communication lines; and for each calling feature applying to atleast one of the plurality of communication lines, render aline-specific calling feature icon in the line selection menucorresponding to the one of the plurality of communication lines forwhich the calling feature applies.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein theat least one calling feature comprises call forwarding.
 3. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one calling feature comprises voicemail.4. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one calling featurecomprises call waiting.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at leastone calling feature comprises call barring.
 6. The device of claim 1,wherein the at least one calling feature comprises missed calldetection.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: render, on the display, data identifying a firstcommunication line of the plurality of communication lines in an activeline data display field of the call screen; and for each of the at leastone calling feature, render, on the display, a line-specific callingfeature icon in the active line data display field of the call screen ifthe calling feature applies to the first communication line.
 8. Thedevice of claim 7, wherein for each of the at least one calling feature,the general calling feature icon rendered therefor is displayed in aheader of the call screen.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the headerof the call screen is rendered above the active line data display fieldof the call screen in the display.
 10. The device of claim 1, whereinthe processor is further configured to: in response to receiving asecond input identifying a user-selected communication line of theplurality of communication lines, update an active line data displayfield of the call screen by displaying data identifying theuser-selected communication line in the active line data display field,and render, on the display, a line-specific calling feature icon in theactive line data display field of the call screen if the calling featureapplies to the user-selected communication line.
 11. The device of claim10, wherein for each of the at least one calling feature, the generalcalling feature icon rendered therefor is displayed in a header of thecall screen.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the header of the callscreen is rendered above the active line data display field of the callscreen in the display.
 13. The device of claim 10, wherein the processoris further configured to initiate an outgoing call using theuser-selected communication line at the electronic device.
 14. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured toreceive incoming calls at each of the plurality of communication lines.15. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality ofcommunication lines has a different telephone number associatedtherewith.
 16. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofcommunication lines comprises a business phone number and a personalphone number.
 17. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of theplurality of communication lines identified in the line selection menurendered on the display is restricted to communication lines that havebeen activated on the electronic device.
 18. The device of claim 17,wherein the at least one of the plurality of communication linesidentified in the line selection menu rendered on the display isrestricted to communication lines on which outgoing calls are permittedto be placed.
 19. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor isfurther configured to render, on the display, data associated withpreviously made outgoing calls, in the call screen.
 20. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to render, on thedisplay, data associated with previously received calls, in the callscreen.